Alarm for grain-bins.



W. E. STINE.

ALARM FOR GRAIN BINS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY]. 1916.

1 ,239, 3-1 5. y Patented Sept. 4, 1917.

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. Wag/5 W. E. STINE.

ALARM FOR GRAIN BINS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY l.191B.

Patented Sept. 4, 1917.

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r. the line 44'of Fig. 1.

WILLIAM E. srmn, or rannom, COLORADO.

ALARM FOR GRAIN-BUYS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 4, 1917.

Application filed May 1, 1916. Serial No. 94,795. i

To all whom it may concern: 4

Be it known that ,I, WIILIAM E. STINE, a citizen of the United States, residin at Padroni, in the county of Logan and tate of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Alarms for Grain- Bins; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it 'appertains to make and use'the same.

This invention relates to improvements in alarms for grain bins and the like to indicate when the same have become nearly filled with grain.

The object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which can be at tached to the outlet of each grain spout into the bin or other receptacle which will sound an alarm when the grain has reached a height adjacent said spout.

A further object is to provide an alarm which is 0 erated by a number of propeller blades, sa1d blades being automatically moved beneath the outlet spout so that the same are actuated by the flow of grain.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention resides in the novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts which will hereinafter be more particularly described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings wherein similar reference characters designate like parts throughout the several views:

Figure 1 1s a vertical section through the upper end of a grain bin showing an alarm constructed in accordance with my invention attached to the inlet spout thereof, said alarm appearing in side elevation;

Fi 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, but showing the position ofthe parts of the alarm when they are active;

Fig. 3 is an elevation taken at right angles to Fig.1; and

Fig. 4 is a vertical section on the plane of While this inventionis designed primarily to be used on grain bins where it is attached to the outlet end of each spout which runs into the top thereof, yet it may also be used in connection with anyreceptacleswhich are designed to receive grain or similar materials. In the drawings E designates the upper portion of a grain bin into which one or more spouts or chutes S extend so that g n m y be d posited therem.

To the lower end of each chute S is attached a short spout-like member 1, said member being preferably the shape of the chute S and so attached thereto that all grain passes therethrough on its entrance to the bin. While any -preferred means may be employed for attaching the member 1 to the end of the spout S, I secure a pair of ears 2 to the opposite sides of the member into which substantially U-shaped catch members 3 connected to said spout are disposed, thereby permitting the member 1 to be readily attached or detached to or from said spout. The member 1 carries adjacent its lower end the alarm and means for moving the same into operative position therebeneath so that grain dropping therefrom may operate said alarm.

The alarm comprises a plurality of, preferably four, propeller blades 4 whlch project from and are secured to a shaft 5. The sides of the blades preferably are extended laterally to form side flanges 6 so that the force of the grain which drops from the spout S more'eflectively operates said propeller. The opposite ends of the shaft 5 are tend from the free ends of the long arms 8 of right angular or other suitable shaped levers 9, said levers being pivoted at the ends of their short arms 10 to the opposite sides of the member 1 as at 11.

One end of the shaft 5 has an eccentric 12 fixed thereto which operates a striker 13, the

clapper on one end of which is designed to strike a bell or other sounding device 14. The other end of the striker is bent laterally to form an attaching foot which is secured to a laterally extending short arm 15, said arm 15 being providedon one of the arms 7 As shown in the drawings, the eccentric 12 is so shaped that when rotated it forces the striker away from the sounding device gradually, and then, when a predetermined point is reached, said striker is allowed to quickly return to its active position in en gagement with the sounding device, this return movement being occasioned by the spring action of said striker. In order to facilitate the operation of said striker 13, an operating finger 16 is secured thereto for engagement by the eccentric. From this description it will be seen that when the propeller formed by the blades 4 and the shaft 5 is rotated in the proper direction, the eccentric 2 wil fa i itate th st r 1.3 wh h .journaled in depending arms 7 which exthat it is actuated by the rising of the grain before the same reaches said alarm. The hanger 17 comprises a pair of right angular or other suitable shaped levers pivoted by their short arms 19 to'the member 1 at points spaced above the pivots 11, the long arms 20 of the levers having attaching arms 21 formed integrally therewith to which the plate 18 is secured. Links 22 connect the short arms 10 and the long arms 20 of the levers of each side-of the hangers so that operationof the plate 18 may readily move the alarm.

By pivoting the hangers as hereinbefore mentioned and providing a plate 18 considerably heavier than the/ alarm, the latter is normally held out of operative position to one side of the line of travel of the grain which fiows from the member 1, said plate 18 hanging substantially vertically. When, however, the grain in the bin is raised beyond'a predetermined point, the further en trance of grain through the spout forces the plate laterally as shown in Fig. 2, thus moving the'propeller blades i beneath the member 1. When the propeller has assumed this position it will be rotated by the action of the grain upon the blades 4:, thus causing the cam to rotate and operate the bell. The alarm will continue to sound so long as the flow of grain through the spout S continues, or until the mass of grain in the bin'has been lessened so as to allow the plate 18 to assume its normal vertical position. When the plate is permitted to move back into this position, its weight causes the alarm to move from beneath the member 1 to one side thereof as shown in Fig. 1. Thus it will be seen that the action of this improved alarm is entirely automatic and that said alarm :will be operated any time the quantity of grain in the bin reaches a predetermined point, by positioning the alarm at various distancesabove the bottom of the bin or by increasing or diminishing the length of the plate 18. i

I claim:

1. The combination with an inlet out, of an alarm normally disposed out of t e path of flow of material through said spout, and means for automatically moving said alarm beneath the end of the spout to cause the same to be directly actuated by the flow of 'nected with said hanger for moving said of 'a propeller hanger comprising a pair of materials, and for returning the same to its normal position.

2. The combination with a receptacle having an inlet spout, of an alarm normally d18- posed out of the path of flow of materials through said spout, and means operable by the weight of the excess materials in and receptac e to move said alarm beneath the end of the spout to cause the same to be d1- rectly actuated by the flow of matenals therethrough.

3. The combination with an inlet spout. of a hanger, a propeller rotatably mounted in said hanger, an alarm carried by the hanger and operated by said propeller, and means for moving said ropeller beneath said spout, said propeller being actuated by the passage of ain therethrough.

4. The comblnation with an mlet spout; of a hanger pivoted to said spout, a. shaft carried thereby, propeller blades extending from said shaft, an eccentric on one end 0 said shaft, a sounding device, a striker for actuating said sounding device, a finger extending from said striker for engagement by said eccentric, and means for moving and propeller beneath said spout.

5. The combination with a receptacle having an inlet spout, of an alarm normally disposed out of the path of flow of materia through said spout, and a deflector plate connected to said alarm, said plate movably laterally by the weight of the excess materials in sa1d receptacle to dispose the alarm beneath the end of the directly actuated by the flow 0 material therefrom.

6. The combination with an inlet spout of a propeller hanger, a propeller carri thereby, analarm, an additional hanger, a 1

deflector plate carried by the last named hanger, and a connection between said hangers whereby movement of said late in one direction will carry the propel er beneath said spout, said propeller being the passage of grain therethrou 7. The combination with an inlet spout of a propeller hanger comprising a pair of levers pivoted to the spout, depending arms extendmg from the free. ends of said evers, a shaft carried by said arms, propeller blades on the shaft, an eccentric on one end of the shaft, a laterally extending short arni on one end of said depending a a sounding device onone ofsaid depen 1 arms, a striker fixed to said short arm to be actuated by said eccentric, and means eonpropeller beneath said spout.

8. The combination with an inlet spout levers ivoted to the spout depending arms extendi ng from the free ends of said evers,

a shaft carried by said arms, propeller blades on the shaft, an eccentric on one and 1 outtobe 1 10 being adapted to move the first mentioned hanger laterally to dispose said propeller blades beneath said spout.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM E. STINE.

Witnesses:

D. O. HARRIS, D. A. RoGERs. 

